Changed wheels and handlebar Stem ... it changed the bike?
Moderator: robbosmans
Hello,
I have a neo-retro build around a classic steel Colnago frame. I had a pair of Fulcrum Racing 5s wheelset and a Colnago Nemesis carbon plated aluminium stem.
I changed the wheelset to Campy Neutrol Ultra and the stem to 3T ARX LTD and suddenly the bike got a bit more ... hmmm ... stiffer in the front end? It definately feels changed.
Is it a "new stuff" placebo or is it justified mechanically?
I have a neo-retro build around a classic steel Colnago frame. I had a pair of Fulcrum Racing 5s wheelset and a Colnago Nemesis carbon plated aluminium stem.
I changed the wheelset to Campy Neutrol Ultra and the stem to 3T ARX LTD and suddenly the bike got a bit more ... hmmm ... stiffer in the front end? It definately feels changed.
Is it a "new stuff" placebo or is it justified mechanically?
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I'd definitely believe that. The front end of my bike feels stiffer with my 60mm wheels vs 38mm wheels. The 60mm rim is a bit stiffer due to its depth (both are 28mm wide) plus it has sapim cx-rays on it where as the 38mm rim has super vx-rays on it which are lighter.
When I changed from a 3T cockpit to a syncros integrated bar stem I immediately noticed it was even stiffer again. Definitely feels better when out of the saddle
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When I changed from a 3T cockpit to a syncros integrated bar stem I immediately noticed it was even stiffer again. Definitely feels better when out of the saddle
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New components don't seem much stiffer to me. I would say placebo effect, but each to his own
Not sure what model your original stem was but I had some 3t and Cinelli quill type stems on old bikes that were absolute noodles. You could grab the hoods and wiggle them up and down probably 20mm because the stem would twist so much. Those were small diameter cast aluminum, and a switch to a more modern tubular stem with a larger diameter made a huge difference.
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I can't really feel a huge different between stems. Handlebars definitely, and the same thing when I go from my Mavic Msyriums to my race wheels, a pair of easton ec90 aeros. Stiffness is a very personally thing, and not necessarily a better one
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